Hi Mattress,
There is more about hotel mattresses in post #3 here but there is no standard type of hotel mattress or “hotel mattress feel” or even “pillowtop feel” because it all depends on the specifics of what is inside the mattress. They are also made by many different manufacturers but they are usually higher priced and/or lower quality versions of similar consumer mattresses made by the same manufacturer with a few minor changes so they can claim that they are “proprietary” and charge extra for the name on the label. They are a common source of buyers remorse. There are more people who prefer their own mattress than prefer even high end hotel mattresses (see this survey) and the reason that some people seem to do well with hotel mattresses in general is most likely because almost any mattress that is in relatively good condition may feel better than what they are sleeping on if it’s past the end of its useful lifetime or isn’t suitable for you any longer.
They also don’t provide any specific information about the materials inside them so you can’t match them based on specs (and you wouldn’t want to anyway because the major brands tend to use lower quality materials) so the only way to make any kind of subjective comparisons in terms of “feel” is to test mattresses until you find one that “feels” similar to the way you remember the hotel mattress feeling (and your subjective memory of how something “feels” is not usually reliable). In very general terms (which can vary widely) they are typically a firmer innerspring with a medium or medium soft comfort layer and then a bedding package on top of this (which may include a topper, sheets, mattress pad, featherbed, and pillows) that adds some extra surface softness and the “aura” of luxury. They are certainly nothing special in terms of quality or value.
[quote]I was offered a customized king size latex mattress set, a headboard , metal frame, delivery (close to 200 km of travel) and set up for $2000.00. The latex bed is made of talalay , 6 inches of 45 density of latex at core and 2 inches of 30 density on top, covered by quilt comprised of organic cotton fabric that contains !/2 inch of bio foam. Initially he wanted to put polyester in the quilt and I explained I have allergies , so he went to bio foam, I am not sure if that matters or not.
My questions to you, knowing that I want a pillow top feel with mattress longevity are these layers and density combinations going to give me that, if not what do you think would be a better fit, keeping in mind that I have no pain anywhere, just want that pillow top sensation and longevity. Also, am I paying too much, as $2000 was a bit over my budget.Please share your thoughts.[/quote]
This mattress certainly uses good quality materials and there are no weak links in the construction or materials and depending on your personal value equation and what you are comparing it to seems to be fair value as well. The most important part of the value of a mattress purchase though is how well it matches your specific needs and preferences in terms of PPP (Posture and alignment, Pressure relief, and Personal preferences) and there is no way for someone else to know this based on theory or specs (yours or the specs of the mattress) that can be more accurate than your own personal testing or experience (see mattress firmness/comfort levels in post #2 here). Only you can feel what you feel on a mattress or know how it compares to another mattress based on your own perceptions (and these types of comparisons are very subjective and different people can have very different opinions)
If you have done some careful and objective testing on the mattress using the testing guidelines in the tutorial post and it’s a good match for you then it would certainly be well worth considering as one of your finalists IMO.
If you haven’t tested the mattress in person then your confidence in the suitability of the mattress based on your conversations with the manufacturer or retailer along with the options you have after a purchase to “fine tune” the mattress or return or exchange the mattress (or individual layers in some cases) if it doesn’t turn out the way you and the manufacturer/retailer hoped it would turn out would likely become a much more important part of the “value” of your purchase.
Phoenix